Blind to Heaven
by Lorelai Kline
Summary: Al and Nel are forced into working together again to bring peace to their kingdoms. Too bad they can't even make peace between themselves. However, due to a series of things they become closer than they ever thought possible. :AlNel: Please R&R, PLEASE!
1. Chapter 1

(A/N: I'd like to thank Sorceress Myst for all her help and Yuna for owning Utah. Somebody had to take it. I also must thank Blue Trillium for correcting my spelling. Sadly, I'm working out of 'Wordpad' and I have yet to discover a spell checker program that goes with it other than my own brain. I'm big on spelling and grammar too, pouts.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 or it's characters... however... Once Sorceress Myst takes over the world she promised I could have Square-Enix as long as I make an AlNel game. (As if there was any chance I wouldn't!) I also get Ireland...

It had been almost a year since a small band of heroes from assorted corners of the universe had saved their beloved world and learned the surreal truth about their existence. Nel Zelpher, one of the heroes responsible for the salvation of her reality, was too busy to even spare a thought to all she had been through. When she had returned to her home planet, Elicoor II, she was greeted by utter chaos. The rival kingdoms of Airyglyph and Aquaria had made peace with each other and were preparing to draft a treaty that would give all ruling power to a single governing body consisting of a king and queen. Her Majesty, Queen Aquaria the XXVII, was readying to step down from her royal title and give all her responsibilities over to the upcoming queen, Elena Frahm. Elena was to wed King Arzei of Airyglyph and rule the conjoined kingdoms by his side when all was said and done.

The majority of the people were glad to settle their differences and start life anew. Both sides had faith in their elected leaders and the holy union of their monarchy. However, there were some bitterly opposed to the idea of making peace. Terrorist groups had formed and were commiting violent acts againgst the Aqui-Glyph union. Several innocent bystanders had been killed during protests, and the time to act was at hand.

Nel Zelpher was the leader of the queen's Secret Legion. The legion was originally established to spy on Airyglyph, but was now appointed the essential task of weeding out the terrorist factions and making it safe for Airyglyph and Aquaria to become one. Nel slowly entered the audience chamber and bowed before her queen.

"You may rise, Nel Zelpher." the queen said. Her voice was pure and soft, but Nel had been around her queen and heard her voice enough to decipher the inkling of strain as she spoke. Nel rose and looked Queen Aquaria in the eyes. She could see that her majesty was indeed feeling stress, though the queen would appear to almost anyone else as though she were as pristine as ever.

"You required my presence, Your Majesty?" Nel spoke with the formality that now came naturally to her. The queen smiled softly and closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Nel once more.

"Your kingdom needs you again, Lady Nel. I am confident that you are aware of our current state of unrest caused by the violent objections of several individuals in regard to the marriage of Aquaria to Airyglyph. Action must be taken to quell these outbursts so that our motion for overall peace may be initiated. I have conversed with King Arzei and we have come to the conclusion that a unified effort is the wisest approach." She paused, studying Nel's response to her announcement. Nel shifted uncomfortably; The idea of working with a Glyphian was not overly appealing to her.

"Therefore..." The queen continued, " Albel Nox has been chosen to accompany you and support you in your mission to silence the rebels".

"WHAT!" Nel blurted out instinctually. She automatically regretted her outburst and bowed her head in shame, knowing what was to happen.

"HOW DARE YOU QUESTION HER ROYAL MAJESTY!" The queen's advisor barked. Nel had to resist the overwhelming temptation to roll her eyes. She hated Lasselle, and she had a hunch that he returned the feeling.

"Calm yourself, Chancellor. Lady Nel has every right to voice her thoughts." The queen scolded her second-in-command softly and looked at Nel with an almost invisible frown. "Although it would've been appropriate that she voice her thoughts with a little more restraint."

Nel cursed inwardly before looking at the queen apologetically. " A thousand pardons, Your Highness. I was merely caught by surprise. Please continue."

The queen's frown was replaced by a gentle smile and she began to speak again. " Seeing as you and Lord Albel have worked together before, such a pairing seemed acceptable. I expect you to treat him as an equal and respect his place in your mission. I know I need not tell you twice, and that you will not fail me."

Nel bowed and began to exit, but the queen had one last thing to say. "Perhaps something productive will arrise from such a partnership. May the grace of Apris be with you."

Nel's head was spinning as she entered her chambers and sat on the edge of her bed. _Albel Nox. _She said his name in her mind and tried to conjure up the image in her brain of Airyglyph's ex-captain of the Black Brigade. She and Nox had been bitter enemies when he first joined the rag-tag assembly of heroes destined for greatness. The man never had a kind word to say and referred to everyone as "maggot" or "fool". That was... at first. As they battled together, the two Elicoorians found common ground and developed an unspoken truce with each other. Aside from the group's leader, Fayt Leingod, Nel was the only other that Albel would treat with respect. She echoed his respect and even admired the handsome ally. Something about him had intrigued her almost to the point of obsession. She was always near him, watching him and secretly needing to know what thoughts plagued his tortured mind.

Nel shook her head sadly and scolded herself for being such a fool. Of course she would confuse respect with attraction. No man had ever really had her respect, aside from her father and perhaps Count Woltar. Still, she never felt her chest get hot and tight whenever _they_ locked eyes with her. She pysically shuddered from the memory of Albel's ruby gaze trapping her. He was frighteningly beautiful. His form was thin but muscular. He was only slightly heavier than her, but Nel's armor covered up her thin figure. His hair was a wild and untamed mane of ebony roots tipped with gold. Two long braids poked out from the nape of his neck, wrapped tightly to the end, where the remaining hair puffed out. And his eyes. Those haunting crimson orbs that glowed from beneath his shaggy bangs. Nel's chest felt tight again and she banished all thought of her new partner.

She donned her bedclothes and settled into her bed, trying to calm her restless mind.

Albel the wicked sauntered up the steps that led to the gates of Castle Aquaria. He smirked to himself at the thought of what Zelpher would do when she saw him.

"Probably shit herself." He muttered to himself, his smirk becoming a grin.

The sentries at the gate looked him up and down. "Maggots." He sneered. The gurads grumbled and did their best to ignore his comment as they fumbled with the controls to the gate.

"Please proceed, Lord Albel, the Lady Nel awaits your arrival." One of the guards said with obvious malice. Albel ignored him and stepped through the gates, taking in the sight of the magnificent castle. As he walked toward the castle he was pleased that the people occupying the grounds were giving him a wide berth. One demanded such respect when "Wicked" was an official title linked with your name. A familiar redhead noted his presence and walked forward to meet him.

Albel couldn't help but look Nel up and down. She was a living, breathing, temptation for him. He loved her violet eyes, so expressive and bright. Her magenta hair, styled to frame her face perfectly, called out for his touch. Her sumptuous figure, a medley of curves and muscles, put him in a trance with its lithe grace. He swallowed hard when his eyes fell onto her long legs, decorated with colorful runes that dared him to trace them with his fingertips. Albel's own body screamed to be pressed against her, but his mind lashed at him for even considering her as worthy.

"Nox." She greeted him cooly.

"Zelpher." He responded with an equivalent tone. His claw-arm flexed involuntarily and the sadistic looking shell that engulfed his metal gauntlet shifted loudly. Nel looked at his arm and Albel bit his tongue. She was the only person he'd ever met that didn't even flinch when they looked at his claw. He would never think to admit it, but such a small guesture spoke volumes to him. His heart skipped a beat as she reached out and actually touched his claw.

"What are you doing!" He inquired with an inflection of mild panic. She simply wiped at one of the ridges in his claw with the cloth of her wrist-guard, then pulled away, looking startled by her own actions.

"You... had some blood caked on. I figured you wouldn't be much use if you were rusting." She said, thinking fast.

Albel was taken aback. He recalled the battle with a gaggle of Bogles he'd encountered on his journey to the castle. They had ambushed him, and he'd been forced to shove into one that was poising to strike at his flank while he cut down three that were attacking head-on. He'd remembered to wipe his katana, but had completely forgotten his claw. It was slightly embarassing, and Albel was forced to look away from Nel's prying eyes as he felt his cheeks twinge red.

"I'm sorry. I should've just pointed it out." Nel's own cheeks flushed and she brushed off her wrist-guard.

"Bah." Was all Albel could bear to say as he swept past her, toward the castle.

Nel smiled and whispered "You're welcome", teasingly.

Nel wound up leading her new partner to the kitchen to find a tub large enough to clean Albel's claw in. She boiled some water and poured soap into the tub.

"Okay... I'll just go fetch some rags." She said, nervously. She dashed out into the hall and leaned against a wall, clutching her chest. Albel hadn't taken his eyes off of her the whole time she'd been busy, and she could feel his gaze burning into her. "Apris, keep me strong." she whispered, before getting some rags and returning to the kitchen. Once again, those blood red eyes were on her, and she shivered.

Albel tried stubbornly to unhitch the locks for his shell. There was no way he was asking an Aquarian for help, especially Nel Zelpher. The sudden warmth of her chest against his back startled him enough to cause him to dart his hand over the hilt of his katana.

"Calm down." she ordered as she played with the clasps of his claw. He could feel her breath against the back of his neck and her fingers brushing against his bare skin. It was torture not to reach out and grab her, though he wasn't sure what he would do with her if he did. She was finally at the last lock, located at the top of his shoulder. Nel's fingers brushed his hair aside and the electricity that overcame Albel was breath-taking. Before he even knew what he'd done, Nel's tiny wrist was clamped in his gauntlet's fist and he'd whipped around to face her.

Nel's eyes were wide with shock and Albel realized just how close their faces were to each other. "Don't... touch... my... hair." He managed to growl, and Nel nodded her head rapidly. Albel made no move to release her, he just searched her deep violet eyes for any hint that she was feeling the same way he was. Her cheeks flushed deeply, and he finally let her go.

"I can handle the rest of this myself, wench." He spat as she clambered to her feet.

"Suit yourself..." She said, her eyes becoming filled with rage. She stormed out and Albel finally was able to breathe again. He washed his shell in silence, still seeing the image of Nel's face so close to his and feeling the warmth of her soft body.

Nel stepped out onto the balcony of the palace that had the best veiw overlooking the royal gardens. The roses were in full bloom, and their fragrance scented the air softly. Nel's favorite flowers were lillies, but she still enjoyed the fragrance that played through her senses. It was a beautiful morning, devoid of the usual gray mist that came at daybreak; something Nel appreciated. The morning mist tended to make her sneeze for some strange reason. After a good amount of time had passed, Nel returned to the kitchen.

She was surprised to see that Albel was actually cleaning the tub he had used to wash his claw in. She'd assumed he'd have left that errand for her. His claw was laying in a patch of sun under a nearby window so it would dry. She could tell he'd already gone over it with a cloth to absorb most of the moisture; a tactic well-known for combatting rust. She walked over to the sinister piece of metal and studied it with interest. It was much more detailed than she'd imagined. Several plates were piled atop each other, carved with designs of dragons and wolves. The corners of each plate were pointed and sharp like spikes, and it dawned on Nel that this wasn't the same claw as the one she'd seen Albel wear before.

Albel turned around and saw Nel examining his claw. _Probably pitying me for being so weak, damnable wench. _He had made sure to wear his "good" claw for this trip, after all, he was representing Airyglyph. A small smirk crossed his lips as Nel timidly began to reach out to touch the imposing accessory. He silently crept up behind her and waited for the right moment. At the exact moment the very tip of her fingers grazed the metal he barked "Zelpher!", causing her to jump and pull out both of her daggers, prepared for instant combat. Albel smirked as she figured out what had happened and shot him a nasty glare as she tucked her daggers back into their hilts.

"Not bad, for Aquarian filth." He taunted.

Nel rolled her eyes and let out an exhasperated sigh. _Apris keep me strong. I get the feeling this is going to be a long mission._

Albel had a few guesses as to what the Aquarian was thinking of him at that moment and almost laughed. He didn't know why, but riling up his former enemy was almost... enjoyable. The thought stunned him for a moment. _What am I thinking? She's nothing to enjoy. _He tried to convince himself that the woman before him was nothing special, but something deep within him wanted to disagree. Albel pushed all thoughts about Nel to the back of his mind when he realized she had been speaking to him.

"-round soon enough with the map, okay?" She finished.

Not wanting her to realize he hadn't heard anything that she'd just said he simply turned his head to the side and grunted. She seemed to notice his lack of attention, however, and decided to teach him a lesson.

"Are you sure that's okay with you, Nox?" She said, fighting back an evil grin.

"Of course I'm sure, woman." He spat.

"Okay then, if you're sure you want to pledge your loyalty to Aquaria..." She said, nearly losing her composure at the sight of his shocked expression.

"WHAT?" He coughed, grabbing Nel by the shoulders and glaring at her with malice. "I agreed to no such terms!"

Nel finally was forced to smile wickedly. Albel raised an eyebrow with suspicion and she burst out laughing.

"You don't know what you agreed to!" She said between fits of laughing.

"Enough! Tell me what I agreed to, and stop your foolish antics." He said, obviously highly irratated, letting go of her shoulders and stepping back to give her air. She shook her head and looked at the floor, still trying to regain herself. She was finally able to look him in the eye without laughing and began to explain.

"Tynave and Farleen are going to be here soon with the map to the headquarters of our first mark. Luckily, we've been there before, so we aren't going in blind." She stated.

"And where is this familiar maggot's nest we're to infiltrate?" He asked, though it sounded more like a demand for an answer.

"Kirlsa Training Facility" she said. They both sighed. The facility was actually a rundown version of a prison, with twists, turns, and secret passages reminiscent of a labyrinth. Albel broke the akward silence with another well-placed grunt.

"My sentiments exactly", Nel said.

They had been waiting at the Aquarian city gates for nearly four hours with no sign of Tynave and Farleen. Albel's patience was wearing thin and having Nel so near to him had him thinking uncomfortable things once again.

"I'm going now, map or no map" he growled. Nel looked at him with surprise before grinning and nodding.

"I was about to say the same thing".

It was amazing just how much power a simple smile from the Crimson Blade had over him. He felt his heart speed up and his chest tighten as a blush threatened to tint his cheeks. Luckily she was distracted by the sound of an approaching wagon and Albel was able to catch the breath he hadn't noticed he'd lost.

"Something isn't right", Nel said in a barely audible whisper, but it was loud enough to shake Albel from his discomfort and watch the wagon approach.

Indeed, something wasn't right. The wagon, which he recognized as the same manner of wagon all of Zelpher's maggot comrades drove, was jerking from side to side and nearing them at a dangerously high speed. He momentarily wondered if all women drivers, at least Aquarian, were this bad. Suddenly the harness on the lum snapped, leaving velocity and inertia to do the lum's work for it. Unfortunately that meant the wagon was going to crash... into him and Zelpher!

(A/N: I just love how I made that cliffhanger all the more exciting by addint that retarded exclamation point. You think it's really necessary? That's going to bug me now.

Some of you may dislike the fact that I used the hair and eye color from the Nel artwork instead of the game. I like her look in art form and prefer the coloration, myself. If it really bugs you that bad you can always pretend I used the game colors. Use the power of imagination!

Anyway, please review. This is a big step for me towards a writing career and I need all the hints, tips, tricks, critiques, and support I can get. I hope that the majority of my readers really enjoy this fic, since I'm already very fond and proud of it. Let me know what you think! Also, a HUGE thank-you to all who have reviewed and shared their enthusiasm.

Love,

Lor)


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: Okay, I am SO sorry it took me so long to get this chapter to you. Just about everything that could happen to put off working on this chapter happened. From catching lazyitis from Myst, to Christmas, New Years, AND my birthday, plus the death of my cat, Sassy, there was no room for writing. I also encountered a bad bout of writer's block, but somehow I pulled through. This chapter is a little immature, I know... but I felt like being funny and perverted. There will be serious chapters, fluffy chapters, even sappy chapters... just not this chapter. Special thanks go to Myst, all the Blues, and my other wonderful reviewers who were able to refrain from pointing a gun at my head to get me to finish this bad boy. Thanks guys, you can give me back the plushies you took hostage now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean: Til the End of Time... Yet.)

Albel acted on instinct, dashing out of the way. In the milliseconds that it takes for the mind to think even the most complex thoughts he figured it'd be fun to watch the wagon crash, hurling whatever maggots from it and see the bodies fly out and land in grisly positions. As he turned to view, smirk already in place, he saw Zelpher, still standing in the wagon's path. She was struggling with her foot, which was stuck in a root, and trying not to curse as she began a fire spell incantation. The spell was activating too slowly, and it wasn't likely the crushing mass approaching her was willing to stop.

Albel muttered a curse as he sprinted to her side and bent down to tug at the root. The root refused to give up its hold on Nel's foot and if he had time, he'd have probably smirked when he dubbed it "the root of all evil" in his mind. It obviously wasn't going to budge and the wagon was too close for him to rely on anything but instinct. He wrapped his good arm around Nel's waist and swiped at the root with his claw, freeing Nel's foot. The wagon was so close now that he could feel it approaching and see it's shadow looming over him. Just in time he flung himself, and Zelpher, to the side, narrowly escaping danger. The wagon slammed into the city gates violently, but the iron gate bore the force, only budging slightly. The runaway wagon crumbled into a heap of wooden debris and he and Nel let out a collective sigh.

Two figures came jogging up to the two of them, gasping for air between warning shouts. Albel inwardly pouted when he realized that the two women must've jumped out of the speeding wagon when it lost control. Pity, he was looking forward to witnessing rag doll physics in action.

Nel sighed with relief once more, seeing that her subordinates, Tynave and Farleen, were alright. She looked at Albel, hoping her expression was one of gratitude, and was about to thank him when the awkward landing position they had fallen into registered in her mind. Albel was looming over her, his face precariously close to hers and his good arm was over the arm she had raised above her head. It didn't help that his knee was between her legs, either. Nel instantly forgot her gratitude as she swiftly shoved Albel off of herself and stood up, hiding her blush behind the scarf she wore around her neck. Albel grunted as he landed on his butt a small way away from her, clearly beyond annoyed. However, Nel ignored him as she ran to her friends and asked for their story.

Tynave flushed deeply and Farleen began laughing hoarsely. Nel looked at the scar on Farleen's throat that peeked out from under the collar of her shirt and frowned. She had been injured during a terrorist attack and almost completely lost her voice. Now all she could do was speak softly. Deep down Nel was ashamed to admit that this particular injury was a blessing in disguise. Before, Farleen's voice was more unbearable than listening to nails on a chalkboard and led to many migraines. Nel inwardly wondered how Tynave could ever get used to the horrible screech.

Tynave's nervous cough brought Nel back from her thoughts.

"So, what exactly happened?" Nel asked, looking back at the wreck that nearly hit her.

"Well... I'd never driven the wagon before and I asked Farleen if she would let me take the reigns.Farleen agreed and let me take over", Tynave began bashfully.

Farleen spoke up, her voice raspy and quiet, but containing mocking delight. "I didn't think it was such a big deal; Driving is easy!" She looked at Tynave, smiling. "But I had no idea that Tynave was such a speed demon! Our poor lum nearly had a heart attack trying to satisfy her need for speed!"

Tynave suddenly became very interested in the dirt at her feet and let Farleen continue to tell the story.

"Well, any engineer can tell you that these transport wagons are not meant for high speeds. All the bumping and rattling around practically tears the whole thing apart. Tynave here wouldn't slow down and kept getting us lost on our way so the wagon had plenty of time to fall to pieces. As soon as we could see the castle the darn thing decided to give. Once we saw the lum break free of the harness we abandoned ship."

Nel was having a hard time holding in her laughter. Sure, she had nearly been crushed, but learning that Tynave had a thing for speed and trying to imagine her driving erased all unpleasant thoughts. She could swear she even heard Albel cover up a laugh with a cough. She took a deep breath before daring to speak.

"As long as the two of you are alright and report this... occurrence... to the castle, I'm willing to forget it ever happened." Nel said, smiling kindly.

"BAH! You two maggots nearly killed us!" Albel barked before turning on Nel. "You're actually going to LET THEM OFF? These worms don't deserve any leniency; They were being reckless and foolhardy!" As the Aquarians were chatting he had gotten to his feet and dusted himself off.

Nel's eyes narrowed and her voice turned cold. "I'm well aware of that, Nox, but I feel that they have already learned the error of their ways and won't pull any more stunts like this one again. Honestly, must you always be so _uptight_?"

Nel could sense that her comment didn't settle well with the prideful captain of the Black Brigade and was about to smile victoriously when Albel spoke up.

"Uptight, huh? This coming from the wench who acts like the babysitter for those off world maggots."

Nel closed her eyes and cursed at herself for not expecting a comeback. She knew Albel hated being called "uptight", but somehow he was able to counter her yet again. She frowned, noting that she needed new material.

Tynave and Farleen could sense Nel's discomfort and decided to jump in before any more damage could be done. Tynave held the map out in front of Albel and smiled calmly, though she was pretty sure the rabid captain could smell her fear. Albel jerked the parchment from her grasp in one harsh movement and looked at the map inside. Tynave, knowing that Albel had no more use for her since he had the map, backed away slowly. Farleen smiled uncomfortably as she saw Tynave mouth "Bastard" and tried to suppress a snicker. Nel simply nodded her head in agreement before walking over to the man of the hour and crossing her arms.

"Are you ready to go now, or do you need more time to glare at everyone?" She asked sarcastically.

"Bah. I was simply waiting for you and your maggot companions to finish gossiping." He snarled as he turned and began to storm off toward Irisa Fields.

Nel simply shrugged and followed him, waving goodbye to her friends and catching up to Albel.

It took a few moments for Tynave and Farleen to breathe again. Once they did, however, they looked at each other and tried to figure out what they had just witnessed.

Farleen bounced up and down with excitement and clapped her hands together. "Did you see what I-"

She was cut off by Tynave, who looked a bit haggard and confused. "If you're about to ask if I saw Albel Nox just save Nel Zelpher, land in a questionable position, and lean down to... I don't even want to think about it... Then no. I didn't see a thing." She looked at Farleen's elated expression and immediately burst her bubble by saying "And neither did you."

Farleen's face fell, but after a few moments the corner's of her mouth rose again and her eyes got dreamy. "Those two have got it bad." She whispered softly. Tynave rolled her eyes in response, but made no other point to argue.

"Albel, wait up!" Nel spat as she jogged up to Albel, who was already heading out onto the road that went through Irisa fields and into Peterny. He made no move to halt, but his movement did slow down. She caught up to him, slightly winded.

"Someone's a bit out of shape" Albel smirked.

Nel chose to ignore him, enjoying the scenery the fields had to offer instead. There were small monsters grazing here and there and the occasional lum-rider would pass by, saying a quick hello to Lady Nel. Albel would roll his eyes and trudge ahead as Nel would stop to smile kindly before catching up to him again.

Meanwhile, a small ball of white fur was in search of food. Its feet were short and it's body round, with giant green eyes staring out from somewhere near the top of its mass. No other physical features could be seen due to the thick white coat. It wasn't supposed to be there, much less exist, but a certain mischievous off-worlder came across a chemistry set and felt the need to play God. (coughCliffcough)

The fuzzy creature ambled forward and its hidden nose detected a delicious scent nearby. It's large eyes searched for the source, landing on two larger beings that had their backs to the food. The creature let out a squeal of delight and bounded toward its prey with grace seemingly impossible for its awkward shape.

"GAH!"

Nel and Albel had been running a silent race for who would walk in front of the other, since neither wanted to stand side-by-side. Nel had finally taken the lead at the speed of a power walk when Albel let out an exclamation and a string of curses. Nel turned around and began to laugh heartily.

There stood Albel the Wicked; Feared captain of the Black Brigade, with a giant dust bunny chewing on one of his long braids. Albel was cursing and threatening death to the small creature but hesitated in killing the beast. It was probably due to the fact that if he swiped at or stabbed the beast there was a risk of damaging his hair. Nel cast a small spell and hit the beast with it, stunning the creature and causing it to release it's hold on Albel's braid.

"That's what you get for having such long hair. Honestly, it's not the wisest idea; Don't they ever get caught in doors or tripped over?" Nel asked teasingly, though she was curious.

"Only if I was a graceless dunce like you, fool." He seethed. Nel bristled. She had her moments of clumsiness, but she'd just saved his pretty locks. _Is it to much to ask for him to just drop it for once?_ She looked at him and frowned. He was glaring at her with venom. _Obviously it is._ She sighed and kept walking, wanting to just move on without an argument for once.

Albel was not happy. He's just insulted Zelpher and she had simply shrugged it off. This was not good for the Captain. _What good is it insulting her if I can't get under her skin. I want her to get fiery and flustered like she always does. She probably thinks that brushing me off will get me off her case. _Albel smirked with an evil glint in his eye. _Wrong move, Zelpher. _

He jogged up to her side and reached his hand out to touch Nel's hair. She froze instantly as Albel brushed his fingers through the magenta strands almost _tenderly_.

"Such lovely hair... pity you wear it in the style of a man, Zelpher." Albel said, almost as if in a daze.

He had wanted to startle and insult her, but once he'd touched her silky hair he didn't want to stop. They both seemed hypnotized by what was happening until one of Albel's knuckles brushed against Nel's cheek; Waking them up with a jolt of electricity.

Nel registered Albel's comment belatedly and smacked his hand away. "The style works for both men AND women. I'm a warrior, not a courtesan." She hissed.

Albel ignored her, still in shock over just what had come over him. _I enjoyed that... I wanted to continue. Just what is this wench doing to me?_ He looked at the hand that had been tangled up in Nel's hair and fisted it, still tingling with the warm feel of her locks.

As the two warriors had their "moment" the small fluffball had come out of its daze and recognized that its food was being threatened. The creature curled back its upper lip to reveal a row of triangular serrated teeth as its claws extended from within its paws and its eyes became a vibrant red. The angry little beast took a few steps back before charging forward and slamming into the back of the taller enemy, sending it into the shorter one who fell backward. Sadly, the enraged little monster didn't register the fact that his two opponents were standing on a hill, thus his little tackle was more effective than he had first hoped.

One minute Albel was staring at his hand with an odd expression on his face, the next he had stumbled forward into Nel, causing her to lose her footing and go falling back. The two of them tumbled down the hill for a ways until the earth leveled out. Nel fell onto her back, quickly joined by Albel, (who fell on top of her), and a ball of white, (that landed on top of him). She took a moment to wait for the stars to stop dancing in her eyes before looking at Albel, prepared to scream.

Albel had realized that he was falling and sent his arms out in front to catch himself. He had yet to open his eyes, but he knew something was wrong when the ground in his hands was... soft. He squeezed the ground to try and figure out what was wrong as he opened his eyes. He instantly wished he could close them again, but he was too mortified to do so.

The "earth" in his hands was actually Nel Zelpher's chest. Her chest plate had ridden up over her collarbone, exposing the thin cloth that covered her bodysuit and skin rather loosely. As the captain of the Black Brigade took in the view his show was disrupted when his cheek was met with Nel's fist. Hard.

"PERVERT!" Nel screamed, attempting to punch, kick, and even bite the unfortunate captain.

"Oh, you WISH, Zelpher!" Albel spat as he attempted to get to his feet and avoid further abuse from the enraged woman.

Nel re-adjusted her chest plate and got up, all the time still accusing her companion of being a letch and having him deny every accusation hastily and vehemently. Whilst Albel and Nel enjoyed their healthy shouting match the small being that had originally caused all the chaos to take place righted itself and gleefully chomped down on Albel's braid yet again.

Meanwhile, in Peterny, the usual sounds of hustling and bustling were momentarily disrupted by the enraged roar of a very pissed off Glyphian. After the echo of the scream faded the town erupted with sound once again.

(A/N: I made myself laugh several times when I wrote this. I hope it has the same effect on everyone who reads it. Please review, it gives me the inspiration to continue writing. I love you guys, let me know what you think, tell me where you want things to go... anything: Just be kind to me, I'm sensitive. lol.

Love,

Lor)


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